After graduating from Western Michigan University, I was given the opportunity to serve in various industries. I started my career as Personnel Assistant in the hotel industry in 1998. Then, I pursued a similar career as Human Resources Executive in the manufacturing and insurance industries in 2000 and 2001, respectively. I ended my career in human resources after leaving the insurance industry in 2003 and continued my studies in Diploma in Education (TESL)(Kursus Perguruan Lepasan Ijazah /Ministry of Education) at the International Languages Teacher Training Institute (IPBA) in 2004. In 2005, I began my career in teaching at two government polytechnics in Kota Kinabalu and Port Dickson prior to my transfer of service to Universiti Malaya as Language Teacher DG41 in 2007. Presently, I hold the post as Language Lecturer DG48 in the English Language Department, Faculty of Languages & Linguistics.

Akbar Sarif bin Muhammad is a lecturer at the Academy of Islamic Studies, Universiti Malaya, Malaysia. Born in Bima, Indonesia, on 15 April 1985, he pursued early education in Pelalawan, Riau, before completing his secondary studies at Pondok Modern Darussalam Gontor in 2004. He graduated with distinction and obtained his bachelor's degree in Comparative Mazhab and Law from Universitas Darussalam Gontor in 2008. Driven by a strong interest in Islamic legal theory, he continued his postgraduate studies at the Universiti Malaya, completing his Master’s research on the concepts of maslahah and mafsadah in the thought of al-Imam al-Ghazali and al-Imam al-Shatibi. In 2021, he was awarded a PhD for his work on the application of Maqasid al-Shari‘ah in the development of contemporary Islamic law in Indonesia. His academic expertise spans Fiqh and Usul al-Fiqh, Maqasid al-Shari‘ah in both theoretical and contemporary applications, manuscript studies, Islamic philanthropy, and Islamic property law. He has authored journal articles, book chapters, and conference papers, all of which contribute to the enrichment of scholarly discourse in Islamic law and its contemporary applications. Akbar has also collaborated on research projects with government and heritage institutions in Malaysia and Indonesia. At the Universiti Malaya, he teaches, supervises postgraduate students, and actively engages in research and academic discourse at national and international levels.

Rizawati Ramli graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from the University of Malaya in 2003. Until 2012, she worked in various specialties in the hospital. During this period, she obtained a master’s degree in Family Medicine, Malaysia after which she worked as Family Medicine Specialist in several Ministry of Health (MOH) public primary care clinics. She has vast experience working closely with the community across various ethnicity and different socioeconomic statuses including indigenous and marginalised people in East Malaysia. In 2015, she received a ‘Letter of Appreciation from National Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nation’ for the Maternal and Child Health service she oversaw in districts of Sabah. Non-communicable diseases, thalassemia screening programmes and children with special needs were areas she spent much in while working in primary care MOH. In 2019 she contributed to the writing of the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) report for Diabetes, Hypertension and Hypercholesterolemia. She also had an opportunity to be part of the medical team for the Malaysia Hajj Operation in 2014 and 2019 as a medical officer. During her service with MOH, she received Distinction in Service Award twice in 2007 and 2014. Besides her commitment to taking care of community health, she also has a passion for sharing her knowledge and experience with the younger generation of doctors and future doctors. She was appointed as an honorary lecturer for MBBS academic session 2018/2019, International Medical School (IMS), Management and Science University (MSU) Shah Alam Campus, trainer of Malaysia-Ireland Post-graduate training in Family Medicine (MInTFM) and supervisor for the Master of Family Medicine post-graduate student. She also has an interest in doing research which has driven her collaboration with the academic universities including Universiti Malaya to conduct a few studies. With her vast experience as a family medicine specialist working on the ground and her interest in clinical teaching and academic research, she decided to join Universiti Malaya as an academic in 2020. Currently, besides her core works as a clinical lecturer and family medicine specialist, she is also part of the post-graduate committee for the Master of Family Medicine, Universiti Malaya, and co-leading of NIHR funded research projects in asthma. Moving on, she plans to venture into implementation science in non communicable diseases including cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.